Very righteously quoted by this theologian and philosopher, travel certainly expands our horizons. It was this thirst of travel and voyage, of the great Portuguese explorer Vasco de Gama that enabled him to discover the unexplored land, till 1498, of India.
Travel has the history of remaining a sphere of interest for the masses all over the globe since ages. Gone are the days when people used to restrict their territories geographically, be it for leisure & adventure purposes, exploring & knowledge rationales, education or economic interests. Today, rather, people don’t hesitate being ‘on the go’ 24 x 7.
Travel has surfaced as a giant service industry in last few decades globally. Not only this, it has given an immense boost to all the other sectors too, like transportation sector, including airline, railway, cruise line, car rental, hospitality sector, catering sector etc. which are, in a way, directly or indirectly allied with the travel industry. It also caters to one major sector of our economy. I.e. The Employment sector, for it contains certain jobs like that of travel agents, tour operators, event managers, guides, visitor information providers etc. Thus adding bounce in the economies all over the world. It is believed to be generating around 9.4 % of the GDP globally and 8.6 % of the total GDP locally.
Travel and tourism has a variety of different forms: Amazing Leisure travel are the journeys or holidays undertaken for some time off and relaxation come under the purview of leisure tourism, like weekend getaways, picnics.
Adventure travels are the trips with the purpose of discovering exotic & remote territories are adventure trips. Experiencing the not yet experienced and readiness for the riskier stuff is boosting up this kind of tourism e.g. trekking, skiing, river rafting, snorkeling, safaris, mountaineering, rock climbing. Business travel gets extended to the corporates, delegates travelling for the purposes of conferences, meetings, events, exhibitions and conventions.
Healthcare and Wellness tourism means traveling for one’s medical needs. This can range from cosmetic surgeries to complex cardiac treatments. The wellness industry caters to the sense of happiness through the processes of Spa, Ayurvedic treatments, Yoga, Meditation etc. Several other types of tourisms include Wildlife & Eco tourism, Religious & Pilgrimage tourism, Heritage & Culture tourism.
Moreover, now, amid the shifting times, with comparatively high income at one’s disposal, and one’s desire for experiencing ‘out-of-the-box’ ideas, the travel and tourism industry has also started offering the options as wide as Cruise tourism, Pop culture tourism and Wine tourism. Every coin has another side. Similarly, the world of travel and tourism also comes with few dodges and loopholes. With the huge amount of influx of foreign tourists and nationals, our country is witnessing rising cases of their molestation or sexual assaults, being reported and recorded every now and then. Here the immediate need of the hour is to believe in what this Land of Gods has been believing since ages; the
Sanskrit verse of our ancient Hindu scripture, the Taittiriya Upanishad saying, “atithi devo bhavah”, suggesting ‘the guest is the God’!
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